If someone was to go back about twenty years and to ask a number of women what they would feel lost without, they would probably say that they would feel lost without their handbag. The same question could then be out put towards a number of men, and they would probably say they would feel lost without their wallets.

Fast forward to today and they may find that people from both genders would feel lost without their Smartphone’s. And one of primary reasons for this could be because this device allows them to use social media.

Both Options

This is not to say that women no longer want a handbag or that men no longer want a wallet; what it can mean is that these are not the only things that matter. There is also the chance that the only thing one wants to carry around with then is their Smartphone.

They no longer need to carry money either, and this is because they can pay for things by using an app instead. As a result of this, and everything else that one can do, it’s not hard to see why one would need to carry anything else around with them.

Staying Connected

One can use their device to stay connected to their ‘friends’, and this means that it is easier than ever before for them stay up to date with what they are doing. Or more to the point, what their ‘friends’ say they are doing.

Therefore, just as one can present a certain image in the real world, they can also represent a certain image on social media. In fact, it could be said that it is a lot easier for one to do this online that it is in real life.

No limits

For one thing, one can take as long as they like to share something, or to reply to a message on social media. But when it comes to the real world, they don’t have as much time, and this means it is not easy for them to control how they come across.

Also, through the use of social media, one can share carefully edited pictures to create a certain impression. It might not matter whether these pictures match up with what they look like or what they have actually been doing; what can matter is coming across in the right way.

The Priority

This can then set one up to believe that it is more important to please others than it is to please themselves. Their needs can then be overlooked in order to take care of other people’s needs.

On one hand, this can allow them to feel good for a short-time, but on the other hand, it could cause them to disconnect from themselves. And the more they try to please others, the harder it can be for them to accept themselves.

The Disconnection

All the time they are getting the ‘right’ responses from others, they might be fine; but as soon as something changes, they could come crashing down. However, if they valued themselves and didn’t need the approval of others to feel good about themselves, this wouldn’t happen.

This is why it will be important for one to pay attention to why they are sharing something on social media, and if they are able to share it without thinking about how other people will reposed, it will be a lot better for their well-being. Yet if they are unable to do this, they might need to take a step back and to find another way to change how they feel.

Missing Out

And if one doesn’t use social media for a short period of time, they may feel as though they are missing out. This can then cause them to experience anxiety, and it might not matter if they haven’t used it for a few minutes, let alone a few hours.
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Going online can then allow them to regulate how they feel, and unless one is able to find another way to change how they feel, they could end up being addicted to social media. And like any addict that doesn’t get their fix within a certain period of time; one can experience withdrawal symptoms if they are unable to get online.

Focus

It is then going to be challenge for one to stay present and to focus on that is taking place in their life. The only time that it is possible for them to focus could be when they are using social media.

Now, if they are using it every now and then to stay in connect with people they know or for another important reason, it is unlikely to be a problem. But if one is using it on a consistent basis to check up people them don’t even know, for instance, it could start to have a negative effect on their life.

Part of Life

It wouldn’t be accurate to say that social media has caused people to fear that they are missing out though, and this is because this fear was around before it was even invented. However, what social media has done is given one to chance to find out more about what people are doing than ever before.

And because one can know more than ever before about what other people are supposedly doing, it is to be expected that this will cause them to experience life differently. Not only is one going to compare their life with people who present their life accurately; they are also going to compare their life with people who don’t.

Conclusion

Through comparing oneself with others, it can cause one to experience jealousy, envy and even depression, among other things. And no matter how often one uses social media; they are still going to miss out.

Instead of one getting caught up in what they are missing out on, they could place their attention on what truly matters. Through doing this, it will allow them use their attention in ways that will enhance their life.

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